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Wednesday, June 21, 2006

I Heart Yankees (Observations of a Texan)

The past two weekends have been traveling weekends, and since I usually take pictures when traveling, I always hesitate to post a blog until I have downloaded the pictures to the computer so I can use them. Let's face it. It makes it more interesting that way, and I need all the interesting I can get.

First weekend was a trip to the Metroplex, specifically Plano, the teenager-addicted-to-heroin capital of the world. It is a very flat place overall (topographically speaking), and judging by the landscape, Dallas is not a big fan of tall trees for some reason. Everything was very low to the ground. The purpose of the trip was to attend Andrew's cousin's wedding, which was very nice. Simple, elegant, the usual cookie-cutter formal wedding. We got to spend some time with Andrew's college buddies - he only gets to see them every few months or so - and did what you do in Dallas to have a good time, visited the Lower-Greenville area to partake in some drinky time. It was one of those nights where you end up at Taco Cabana eating crap at 3am. Ahh college...

Last weekend I went to Boston with the family for my great aunt's (Aunt Evelyn) 80th surprise birthday party. Let me tell you, surprising a woman with a pacemaker can be a tricky thing, but we were instructed not to jump out or yell surprise too loudly so as not to alarm her into medical arrest. With a room of 80 people, half of which are elderly, there is reason to be concerned. It was a luncheon party, complete with a lot of family (we came the farthest - yeehaw!) and many groups of friends, Aunt Evelyn's children did a lovely job of pulling it off. At one point, my sister and I were in line for the buffet, standing near a table of Aunt Evelyn's friends, when a lady turned to greet someone and sort of slipped out of her chair and started falling to the ground. The people around her caught her, and right afterwards, the lady who caught her says out loud, in the most scolding-old-Boston lady accent ever "You shouldn't have had that second Manhattan." I about died laughing. It might be one of those things that you had to witness to find humorous though. I don't see this family but maybe every decade or so, so trying to figure out who was who and how we were related required a flow chart of sorts (literally, we had to draw it out to understand). We spent some time at Crane Beach which was beautiful and refreshing, but I don't remember any time when I've paid $15 TO PARK at a public beach. Seriously, that's just crazy.

Kasia at the Country Club in Tewksbury

Crane Beach

We spent 75% of the trip doing what most annoying Texans do when they visit any place north of the Mason-Dixon line: giggle at people's accent. Example, how would YOU pronounce "Woburn"? If you are born & raised in Boston like my Dad & uncle, you pronounce it "Woo-bin." The letter "R" is a very sneaky thing in Boston language, I think...

One last thing to point out - Boston must LOVE Dunkin Donuts, because there are at least 2 of them on every corner in that city and nearby suburbs. It's like Starbucks in Seattle. I partook of the Donuts, and I am of the opinion that they are ok, tasty even, but folks, they're no Shipley's.